Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith for trainer Todd Pletcher and King of Prussia Stable (Ed Stanco), Princess of Sylmar is a Pennsylvania-bred, daughter of Majestic Warrior.

She beat Beholder, trained by Richard Mandella, by a half-length after catching her deep in the stretch as a crowd of 113,820, the second largest in track history, looked on. She paid $79.60 to win. Pletcher took three of the top four spots with Dreaming Julia in third and Unlimited Budget in fourth.

“We’re pleasantly surprised with her effort and her win,” Pletcher said. “She’s a good filly.”

It was Pletcher’s third win in the Oaks, but the first for Smith as he became the 36th jockey to win the Oaks and the Derby in his career.

Smith can be the first jockey to win the Oaks and the Derby (he’ll ride Palace Malice) in the same year since Calvin Borel did it in 2009 on Mine That Bird in the Derby and Rachel Alexendra in the Oaks.

It’s been 61 years since a trainer, Ben “Plain” Jones won the Oaks (Real Delight) and Derby (Hill Gail) in the same year.

“We’re the only ones with a chance, anyway,” Pletcher said.

California connections had no excuses. Bob Baffert’s Midnight Lucky set a blistering pace, and Beholder appeared to be wrapping up the race when she was caught by Princess of Sylmar.

“She ran great and I’m proud of her,” Mandella said of Beholder, who was fractious in the paddock and the gate and finished second by half a length. “She may have lost the race in the post parade. She was so full of herself and so wanting to go.”

Said Bob Baffert, who saddled Midnight Lucky: “We set a fast pace (22.84, 46.79 and 1:11.34), and she is lightly raced. She got pretty tired. We had an inside post so we had to go with her.”

Favoring Louisville

Some advanced betting on the 139th Kentucky Derby showed a Louisville bias, with Goldencents, partly owned by University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, and Revolutionary, who will be ridden by Churchill Downs’ favorite Calvin Borel.

Both are early co-favorites at 5-1.

• Orb, who was made the morning-line favorite at 7-2, slid to 6-1, and Verrazano, who was 4-1 on the morning line, slid to 11-1.

• Giant Finish was the longest shot on the board at 44-1.

• Black Onyx, a 50-1 shot to win the 139th Kentucky Derby, was scratched Friday from the race due a “displaced chip in his left ankle,” according to trainer Kelly Breen.

Expensive mint julep

Woodford Reserve is selling a very, very special mint julep here for $1,000 a glass.

It has gold and diamonds in the glass and the usual couple shots of Woodford Reserve bourbon, sugar water and mint in it.

Woodford Reserve says it has raised more than $354,000 for charities in the past seven years. This year’s money will go to Old Friends Thoroughbreds Retirement Center for retired racehorses.